Alumni Profiles – Oswego Alumni Magazinehttp://magazine.oswego.edu
Oswego Alumni Magazine Wordpress siteThu, 15 Nov 2018 13:00:50 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.9.961793679An Original ‘IT Girl’http://magazine.oswego.edu/2018/10/31/an-original-it-girl/
http://magazine.oswego.edu/2018/10/31/an-original-it-girl/#respondWed, 31 Oct 2018 15:14:55 +0000http://magazine.oswego.edu/?p=10398Deb Nosky ’81didn’t know then—nor did she remember today—that she was one of only 28 female students in the computer science program. What she remembers most about her SUNY Oswego experience was feeling surrounded by strong female role models—at that time, College President Virginia Radley, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Barb Gerber, all the female coaches of women’s sports teams and her database course instructor Bette Brindle.

“Oswego set the stage for me with women succeeding in leadership roles—in all areas of campus,” Deb said. “I have no idea how many women were in my computer science classes. It wasn’t something I thought about then (although I would love to know that now) because I was just so fascinated by the programming languages and courses.”

The Oswego native enrolled at the college originally to become a teacher. One day, she was asked to tutor another student on a writing assignment. It turns out the writing assignment was actually a COBOL programming assignment, but the solution came easy to her so she decided to take a computer science course and was hooked.

Within a few years, she picked up a master’s in adult education from Syracuse University and was able to combine her passion for teaching with her aptitude for computer science by working in information technology. For a decade, she served as the event and IT director for Susan G. Komen of CNY Race for the Cure, and helped use data to strengthen the fundraiser that raised $750,000 and attracted more than 8,000 participants for the nonprofit.

Today, with 35 years of experience as an IT professional, she is a professor of practice and director of the undergraduate degree program at Syracuse’s School of Information Studies
(iSchool). She also develops workshops for the annual “It Girls” program for female high school students—a “slumber party meets hackathon” that is meant to inspire and create a pathway for girls to study information technology as an academic discipline. Some of the workshops include tasks like using math formulas to design lines that are incorporated into fabrics for the fashion industry or using information retrieval skills to identify where a photo of a window was taken (the girls successfully tracked down the country and location of the window!).

“Research shows that a better solution to a problem is achieved with a diversity of experience, perspective and opinions working together,” said Deb, who proudly touts the fact that the female-to-male ratio is 44-to-56 percent in her iSchool program and who would like to see the acronym STEM altered to STIM, to include an emphasis on information.

“I dare you to think of one field that doesn’t involve information technology and management,” she said. “I don’t think you can today. I hope that all of my students graduate with the knowledge and skillsets that make them valuable contributors in a variety of fields.”

“I love to adopt new technology,” said the digital strategist for one of the largest technology product manufacturers of our time: Samsung.

Vernon has outfitted his New York City home with his company’s technology for a connected living experience: TVs, kitchen appliances, lights, security—all connected, all at his fingertips through the use of a Samsung SmartThings hub connected to his mobile phone and computer.

Vernon most recently has been at the helm of the Samsung strategy and experience components for business-to-consumer and business-to-business websites www.samsung.com/us and www.samsung.com/us/business. It’s Vernon’s job to “roll up [his] sleeves with brand, creative, tech and data teams.”

In addition to launching, maintaining and redesigning Samsung websites, Vernon has implemented project management information systems at the technology giant, serving as a driving force in the challenge of merging business goals, technology, analytics and product design/user experience/ content. His product web marketing campaigns most recently include the popular Galaxy S9 mobile device.

“In a nutshell, I work across many cross-functional layers to find the right mix that balances our brand and business goals,” he said.

Vernon, who has served as a judge for the Digiday Awards and has presented at several conferences on the topic of technology and marketing, said new technology advances present challenges that range from figuring out practical applications to determining if a technology is sustainable—and everything in between.

In addition to earning his degree in marketing at SUNY Oswego, Vernon was on the air for WNYO and helped bring some hip-hop acts to campus. He said that the stark contrast from where he grew up in New York City and life in Oswego, played a role in shaping his success.

“I learned that community is important, and not everyone is always out for self gain,” he said. “I think Oswego best prepared me by fostering my love for learning. Oswego introduced me to a broader spectrum of life experiences.”

In his free time, Vernon practices photography—from street photography to capturing moments with his wife, Denise, who is an analyst at PwC (formerly PricewaterhouseCoopers); and their three sons, Leo, Ryan and Max.

“It’s how I disconnect from the world,” he said. “It is super rewarding to find truth in 1/200th of a second.”

And what type of phone did one of Samsung’s digital leaders use on the Oswego campus back in the day?

Jacqueline Michalski ’10 was a member of the women’s swimming and diving team at SUNY Oswego for four consecutive years. As a student-athlete, she became the assistant swim coach for the Lake Oswego Swim Club for two seasons. She graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Science in wellness management. Shortly after graduating, Michalski accepted a position as an assistant swim coach while pursuing her master’s degree in health care administration at King’s College. In 2014, she became the head coach of the Eastern Illinois University men’s and women’s swim team where she is in her fourth year.

How old were you when you started to swim competitively? What was your specialty/main event?

I joined the local USA competitive swim team, Chenango (N.Y.) Aquatics, (CAGO) in October 1992 when I was 4 years old. I was an active member of the club until 2006. The coaching philosophy of Chenango Aquatics was to encourage swimmers to swim all the strokes and events. That being said, I was a natural breaststroker and was much better suited for distance events than sprints. My favorite events were the 400 IM and 200 breaststroke, two events I regularly swam while at SUNY Oswego.

One of my favorite first memories of swimming was at the UNAC Sertoma meet held in Endicott, N.Y. I was a member of the 8 and under girls’ relay team for both the 200-free relay and 200-medley relay team. Being a natural breaststroker, 6-year-old me swam that leg of the winning relay with another 6 year old, 7 and 8 year old. The four of us still hold the record for that meet, 25 years later. It’s still a story I tell my college team when I ask them to remember why they started swimming, and who they swim for. I’m on deck every day for that little girl who fell in love with the water.

When you were looking at colleges, how important was it to you to be able to keep swimming?I knew I wanted to swim in college and continue in the footsteps that so many of my older club teammates took. My club coach was very supportive and encouraged me to pursue this goal. She would remind me that the events in college would suit me better as a swimmer, allowing me to swim longer events.

At first, how did you feel about swimming at the college level? I felt determined, but I was also nervous. My determination came from wanting to prove myself and continue the tradition of winning SUNYACs, but it didn’t come without any nerves. I had an amazing support system, including my family back home, club coaches, Coach Kami and my teammates.

I was excited to be swimming under a female head coach, but I knew she had high expectations for me. At 18 years old, I knew my path at SUNY Oswego would be a special one and create a solid foundation for the rest of my life. Now at 30 years old, I know my four years spent in Laker Hall made me into the successful coach that I am today.

What was the first moment that you felt part of the Oswego team? I felt welcome on the team from the moment I went on my recruiting trip in early October 2005. The coach at the time knew how to make an impact — the whole team was there to welcome me; they knew my name, events I swam, and took time to show me around campus. Their warm welcome, along with the instant connection I felt with the university, helped me realize Oswego was the place for me. This welcoming sensation only grew over the summer leading up to fall 2006, my freshman year.

One of my favorite memories involves swimming the 400 IM early in the season my freshman year. Usually the men and women swam in their own heats, but to save time, the men and women of Oswego ended up swimming in the same heat. My strength in the IM was the back 200 of the event (breaststroke and freestyle). The race started in usual fashion for me, lagging behind after the first leg, coming in dead last after the 100 yards of fly. I began to catch up to the field in the backstroke and pull ahead of all the females in the heat. When it came to the breaststroke leg of the race, I was set on catching up to my male teammates. One of the men from Oswego was very strong in the first 200 yards; a chance to catch him was nearly impossible at that point of the race. The other male swimmer knew me from club swimming and was aware of what I was doing. He was prepared for me to make a move and swam the race so I could catch him, but not beat him at end of the race. The third male swimmer was not aware of this, allowing me to catch him in the breaststroke and pass by him during the freestyle leg, leading me to finish before him. He was a good sport about me beating him that day but he was not going to let that happen again. From that day on, he beat me in every IM race and every IM set in practice. We grew into great training partners and great friends. The men’s and women’s team acted very much as one, always motivating and encouraging for success, despite gender.

I took this team atmosphere, which I learned from Oswego, and carried it into my daily coaching life here at EIU. The men’s and women’s teams sometimes combine practices and work together as a unit to make each other better.

When did you decide to transition your love for the sport into coaching?I was fortunate that I had the opportunity to help coach at the Chenango Aquatics while still in high school and as part of the team. During college, I helped coach the local club team in Oswego, and in the summer helped coach CAGO. I loved being on deck as well as being in the water.

I received a Bachelor’s of Science in wellness management with minors in health science and coaching. From the very beginning, I knew I wanted to have an education that would help me in my future coaching career, but it also gave me an outlet to pursue a degree outside of athletics.

After my four years, I was not sure if I would pursue coaching or go into the healthcare field. I was able to find a graduate assistant position as an assistant swim coach at King’s College and get my master’s in healthcare administration while coaching. The more time I spent on deck, the more I realized I wanted to coach and keep the sport of swimming in my life.

I started to do research on what it would take to make coaching my full-time job in the college setting. The more research I did, the more I noticed how few women were coaching at the college level across all divisions, but especially Division I. I had the same emotions I did when entering Oswego as I did when entering the world of DI athletes as a female. I was determined to be successful, but also nervous knowing not many women are in this field. I have always been motivated by “beating the boys” and knew that I wanted to be in this world at this level. I knew my time at Oswego had prepared me for entering the world of college athletics.

What was a key lesson learned at Oswego that you’ve applied to your coaching career?During my freshman year at Oswego, I was fortunate enough to be a part of a team that won SUNYAC on the women’s side. I was swimming for a strong female coach -there was great senior leadership – and I was swimming some of my best times in my life, with the women on the team doing the same thing.

My sophomore year came with a new coach, new seniors, new freshmen and a new mindset — everything seemed new, when in reality, nothing was that new. I will admit, I did not adjust well to the changes, and did not know how to adjust to the feeling of change. I struggled with the mental adjustments and I needed to realize that the most important things didn’t change. I was on a team whose mindset was still set to excellence, the coach still had a passion for the team and university, the beautiful campus, and professors were still there to encourage and guide me to success.

I experienced coaching changes as a swimmer at Oswego, as an assistant coach at Saint Francis University and as a coach here at EIU. I had a very successful freshman year, and I believe I can credit that to strong preparation in the pre-season, along with a strong coach and positive team environment. My next three years at Oswego were a very different experience, but the struggles I had my last three years, in addition to the success of my freshman year, shaped me into the coach I am today. I would not change any of my experiences I had at Oswego. The highs and lows have both served me well. I tasted what it was like to be successful, as well as fail, as a swimmer. I believe the lows have helped me become a better coach and given me insight on how to navigate coaching changes, as well as handle the difficulties one can experience both as a swimmer and a coach.

Since leaving Oswego, I have become a Division I head coach of a men’s and women’s swim teams who puts academics first and pays close attention to the highs and lows of a swimmer’s career. These values that I have instilled in our core team culture have produced a women’s team that has had the highest GPAs in the nation among DI swim programs. Both genders have also ranked within the top 20 nearly every semester. I carry the passion both my former coaches had for their school and team into my daily coaching life. They truly believed in the school, team and community. They both taught me to bring a passion for the job every day and motivate the team as a whole, as well as to encourage all swimmers individually to be the best they can.

If you could go back to your first day as a freshman showing up to Laker Pool and give yourself advice, what would it be?To take your four years of eligibility and make the most of them. Every day might not be the best day, but after four years, you can never do this again. Not many people get to say they were a student-athlete. Make the most of your time with your teammates and your coach.

Growing up in a bilingual home with his parents who had emigrated from Germany, George Koenig seamlessly moved between English and German in his conversations. Today, he continues to mix both languages into his conversations with his wife, Heike ’87, a native of Germany.

“I joke that I am going to record our conversations to see what triggers us to speak in one language over the other,” said Koenig, an emeritus professor of German.

For Koenig, language acquisition has come relatively easy compared to most. His high school French teacher nurtured his talent and encouraged him to apply to her alma mater, Middlebury College in Vermont, which is known for its foreign language programs.

Koenig enrolled and went on to earn a bachelor’s and a master’s in German and a minor in Spanish from Middlebury, and landed a job as a civilian instructor of German at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. While teaching at the naval academy, he worked toward a Ph.D. in German at the University of Maryland and also met and married his wife.

They moved to New York when Koenig decided to accept a position teaching German at SUNY Oswego—a role he kept until he retired in December 2000. During his tenure at Oswego, he also earned a master’s in Spanish from Middlebury during a summer intensive program so he could teach that language to Lakers.

“I liked the colleagues and I like the college and I liked the courses I taught,” he said. “I liked the area. I like winter. It was ideal, and after our first child [Monica] was born here, it became our home town.” They raised both of their children, Monica and Philip ’92, in Oswego.

Koenig enjoyed his role as a foreign language teacher—which he said actually required a lot more hats than traditional teaching.

“In teaching a new language, you have to be somewhat of an actor, a comedian, a pantomime,” he said. “It has to be entertaining in some way and interactive, because you can’t as easily communicate with students as you would in a literature, political science or chemistry class.”

Koenig admits that teaching a foreign language could at times be frustrating but his favorite memories of Oswego are those when students did latch on to the language, and a whole new culture opened up to them. He also takes pride in helping many students study abroad.

“Overseas travel gives students total immersion in the language,” he said. “Total immersion really is the most important component to achieve fluency in a language. It’s funny when you study another language, you somehow acquire their culture.”

If that is the case, Koenig is man of many cultures. In addition to German and English, he also is fluent in Spanish and conversational in French, and as a world traveler, he always tries to learn enough of the native tongue to get around.

Although he has visited dozens of countries, he considers his home region in Oswego and Central New York to be among the most beautiful areas in the world. Much of his retirement he spends dedicated to improving and preserving it through his volunteer work with the Heritage Foundation of Oswego, Save Oswego’s Historic Sites, H. Lee White Maritime Museum and the Tree Stewards program.

“This is our home of 50 years, and we’re invested in this city,” he said. “It’s been a wonderful place for us.”

Not long after graduating from SUNY Oswego, Trudy Perkins ’93 was at home in Albany, N.Y., watching the Oprah Winfrey Show on TV when Oprah asked her producer to join her onstage.

“I said to myself: ‘That’s what I want to do,’” Perkins said of the clipboard-wielding staff member who oversaw the success of the TV show’s episodes.

It was just the starting point for the business administration major, who went on to produce news for stations in Albany, then in Baltimore, Md., for WBAL-TV—managing and supervising news crews, including anchors, reporters, photographers and production staff.

“To be a news producer you have to know a little bit about a lot of things,” Perkins shared with students in her first return to the SUNY Oswego campus since 1996, when she was a featured panelist for the 2017 Dr. Lewis B. O’Donnell Media Summit in October.

Today, Perkins has leveraged an extensive communications background into a role as the deputy chief of staff/communications director for the office of Congressman Elijah Cummings, who is the ranking member of the U.S. House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

Perkins has been named among the Top 100 Women of Maryland by The Daily Record newspaper. And, since making the switch to the other side of the news camera, she has served as liaison to elected officials and senior-level civic, community and corporate leaders, developing and executing national and local communications strategies.

While she didn’t take public relations or communications classes during her time at Oswego, the skills Perkins learned as a member of the International Student Association (she was not an international student, but studied abroad in France), as the director of finance for the Student Association and as a member of the Program Policy Board—a role that saw her bringing musical acts to campus—prepared her for the future.

“It was all real-world negotiating that I learned right here in Oswego,”

she said.

The skills have translated to “firsts” that have shaped her career. Perkins was the first black woman in the role of producer at WTEN-10 in Albany, and her subsequent roles have had similar significance as a woman and a person of color, she said.

“I have been able to bring that perspective to the table,” said Perkins, who lives in Laurel, Md.

Capitol Hill is a competitive environment, but developing positive working relationships is key to success there, she said.

“People want to help others, especially if they have had a difficult road to travel,” she said. “Being able to share my experiences as a person of color and a woman, you never know how much that can impact others.”

Perkins serves on a number of boards for non-profit organizations, including Women in Film and Television, Art with a Heart, the Baltimore School for the Arts and the SEED School of Maryland, which is a college-preparatory, public boarding school in Baltimore. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., which she joined while at SUNY Oswego.

“There is no question that my time at Oswego prepared me for my career trajectory,” Perkins said. “Having the opportunity to take on leadership roles as a student and engage in so many diverse experiences gave me the confidence to take risks and seek positions that would be most fulfilling to me.”

As president of Prendo Forensics, Berkowitz provides a one-stop shop to meet the forensics and digital-related supply and equipment needs of law enforcement agencies across the country, interfacing with everyone from purchasing clerks to homicide investigators and police chiefs to academic professors. She also supplies customized kits and life-size training mannequins, and sets up interactive mock crime scenes for forensics and criminal justice programs at colleges, secondary schools and specialty institutes.

“Unfortunately, crime will always exist, so the need for these products isn’t going away,” said Berkowitz, a member of many law enforcement associations and the College Criminal Justice Advisory Board. “I am constantly researching the emerging products to share with law enforcement to keep them safe and assist them in solving crimes.”

For example, Berkowitz said the recent opioid and fentanyl epidemics have created an immediate need for more and better filtration products and protective gear for law enforcement, who risk overdose by inadvertently touching or breathing in the drugs when responding to calls.

Through her research on products and attendance at numerous trade shows, she connects law enforcement departments to new tools—such as DNA-free crime scene supplies and personal hazmat kits with gloves, masks, overalls and a portable glove box to test substances so law enforcement won’t be exposed to the fumes or powders.

Her work draws heavily on strong interpersonal communication, research and relationship-building—skills she said she developed through her communications coursework at SUNY Oswego and her work in the admissions and alumni offices.

Berkowitz is a 2018 Enterprising Women of the Year Champions Honoree, 2009 Albany-Colonie (N.Y.) Regional Chamber of Commerce Women of Excellence award recipient, 2001 Business Review’s 40 Under Forty Business Achievement Recipient and a certifying partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.

“My livelihood depends on my communications and my ability to read my customers,” she said. “You have to be a certain kind of person to do cold calls, and I make 20 to 30 cold calls a day. Then once you have a customer, you need to build a strong relationship with them.”

And she knows a little something about maintaining relationships. She initially set her sights on the “cute guy in the red hat from chemistry class” who she saw again on the Hart Hall elevator and discovered he lived directly above her room on the ninth floor.

She and the red-hatted man, Ned Berkowitz ’85, have two children and are celebrating their 30th anniversary this year.

—Margaret Spillett

]]>http://magazine.oswego.edu/2018/04/11/alumna-flourishes-as-forensics-supplier/feed/010083Outdoor Enthusiast Dedicates Career to Environmental Protectionhttp://magazine.oswego.edu/2018/04/11/outdoor-enthusiast-dedicates-career-to-environmental-protection/
http://magazine.oswego.edu/2018/04/11/outdoor-enthusiast-dedicates-career-to-environmental-protection/#respondWed, 11 Apr 2018 18:22:44 +0000http://magazine.oswego.edu/?p=10080Amy Hueber ’77 remembers waiting for the school bus on the west side of Syracuse—not far from Tipperary Hill—and being able to smell a polluted Onondaga Lake, more than five miles away.

Photo: Matt Cummins

Her feelings about that lake were in stark contrast to those she held for Lake Ontario—the summer vacation spot for her family—including brother Jim ’79 and her four other siblings—and the site of so many happy memories swimming and exploring the wetlands.

“Lake Ontario equaled perch fish fries,” she said. “Onondaga Lake—don’t even touch the water. Thankfully, that is improving through the dedicated work of many factions.”

These early and vastly different experiences with water introduced her to the role pollution can play in environmental quality.

“I wanted to understand better and get involved with solutions to remedy ecosystem imbalances and in turn educate myself and others on ways to be environmental stewards to maintain the balance,” said Hueber, who has spent the past 36 years working in SRC Inc.’s Environmental Hazard Assessment Division.

In this role, she has completed work for the National Library of Medicine on the Hazardous Substances Databank, which gives the public a better understanding of the effects and fate of potentially hazardous chemicals on air, water, soil environments, plants, animals and people.

She credits a Biology 101 research project with Dr. A.J. Nappi for laying the foundation for a master’s degree in library science at Syracuse University and, more importantly, for her life’s work as a research scientist.

But she adds, “Field classes at Rice Creek were far and away my favorites, and studying with true experts in their fields really kept the sense of curiosity and problem-solving at a feverish pitch. A favorite was Dr. Don Cox’s project presentation class, where we applied all the ecological and environmental concepts we had been taught over the years to identify and present remedial actions for an area of your choice, such as brownfields, altered shorelines, water quality degradation due to runoff, etc. It was a very real-world experience with a lot of lively discussion/point-counterpoint, stopping just short of a famous SNL skit.”

At Oswego, she also nurtured her love for music and culture through coursework and a summer semester in Austria—“home of the Vienna waltzes, the music of Mozart, fine chocolate, and where the beer is perfect,” she said. The experience also inspired her to pick up courses in the German language.

Today, Hueber continues to balance science and the arts; she is learning the harp and enjoys quilting. She fuels her passion for the outdoors through kayaking, cycling, snowshoeing, and, of course, enjoying and preserving the natural resources of Central New York.

“I get out on the water with the Oswego County Soil and Water Conservation District, pulling invasive water chestnut plants, doing garbage cleanup, bird watching and just being in nature,” she said. “I think that wonder of the outdoors needs to be re-instilled in children especially … It’s how they can develop a sense of this is our home,” she said. “Take care of the earth and the earth will take care of you.”

—Margaret Spillett

]]>http://magazine.oswego.edu/2018/04/11/outdoor-enthusiast-dedicates-career-to-environmental-protection/feed/010080Empowering Others through Educationhttp://magazine.oswego.edu/2018/01/17/empowering-others-through-education/
http://magazine.oswego.edu/2018/01/17/empowering-others-through-education/#commentsWed, 17 Jan 2018 20:31:48 +0000http://magazine.oswego.edu/?p=9973“Education will not change the world; it will change the people who are going to change the world.”

Dr. Victor Martin ’93 includes that quote by Brazilian educator and philosopher Paulo Freire under his email signature—a fitting location, as education has played a foundational role in Martin’s life.

Martin said his mother, Cathy Santos ’87 M’99, instilled in his sisters and him a love of learning early on.

In fact, many of his memories of his childhood in Oswego involve learning, like reading books (including encyclopedias), listening to National Public Radio (his home didn’t have a working television set until 10th grade) and awakening to the transformative power of education—quite literally.

“I remember with my sixth grade teacher—[the late] Mrs. Nancy [Triolo] Egan [’67]—we collected caterpillars in cans and I still remember the day when we came into our classroom and there were monarch butterflies all throughout our room.”

Martin also recalled his high school math teacher—Mike Caldwell [’70 M’88 and current Oswego Alumni Association board member]—who would sometimes employ peer-to-peer teaching where students taught each other the lessons.

“I just really connected with his teaching, and at that point, I thought, ‘Hmm, I kind of like this teaching thing,’” Martin said.

He ended up majoring in English at SUNY Oswego and got involved in Sigma Phi Epsilon, working on such projects as building a wooden playground and volunteering for the Special Olympics.

After graduation, he was ready to leave Oswego and decided to drive across country to California. Initially, he worked as a teacher assistant while living the “beach life” and surfing the waves along San Diego’s shoreline daily.

But when he was asked to fill in for a teacher who had called in sick, he saw the difference he could make by lighting the spark for learning in others. Administrators praised him for talent in working with the more challenging students, and his path became clear.

After serving as a classroom teacher at a school designated for students with emotional disabilities in San Diego, he moved to Milpitas, Calif., where he taught grades K-6. Then he moved to Northern Virginia, where he taught fifth and sixth grade, before becoming an administrator as well as serving as a summer school administrator and the lead in the Office of Multicultural Education.

Along the way he earned a master’s degree from George Mason University in education leadership and a doctorate in education leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, and served as a fellow at Harvard University’s National Institute for Urban School Leaders.

Today, he said he has his “dream job” as the principal of the Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center for the Alexandria City Public Schools. The school educates youths ages 13-18 who are being held for the juvenile courts of Northern Virginia. Many students come from broken homes, are homeless or have drug and alcohol addiction problems. The average length of stay can range from 22 days to 67 days.

He sees education as a tool to help break the cycles of poverty, drug addiction, racism, crime and other social problems.

“This is the right work,” he said. “In order for a democracy to flourish, you’ve got to have its members be able to participate in society. I can’t imagine another place where I’d rather be. We have a responsibility to educate all of our students. And I’d rather be a part of that education than just watching it.

“Education offers hope and opportunity,” he said. “I hope to give that opportunity, not only to the students and families, but to my professional peers as well.”

Alexa Aramburu ’17 was one of just 105 players to be selected in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) Draft in August. Aramburu was picked 30th overall in the fifth of 23 rounds by the Toronto Furies.

The Glen Rock, N.J., native joins the Furies after a stellar four-year career with the Lakers. In her senior season, Aramburu appeared in every game for Oswego, finishing second on the squad in goals (13), assists (18) and points (31). Three of her scores were of the game-winning variety and five came on power plays while racking up a plus-8 rating.

Overall, the forward donned the green and gold in 105 games during her collegiate career, showing a balanced attack with 29 goals and 32 assists.

Aramburu becomes part of the CWHL’s seven-team association, which includes the Furies, Boston Blades, Calgary Inferno, Kunlun Red Star, Les Canadiennes de Montreal, Markham Thunder and Vanke Rays. Founded in 2007, the CWHL states it “was created with two goals in mind—to create a place for the highest-level women’s hockey players to continue to compete and hone their skills, and to create a future for the sport of women’s hockey.”

]]>http://magazine.oswego.edu/2017/12/07/alumna-drafted-by-canadian-womens-hockey-league/feed/09754Alumna Returns to Campus 67 Years After Graduationhttp://magazine.oswego.edu/2017/12/07/alumna-returns-to-campus-67-years-after-graduation/
http://magazine.oswego.edu/2017/12/07/alumna-returns-to-campus-67-years-after-graduation/#respondThu, 07 Dec 2017 21:13:28 +0000http://magazine.oswego.edu/?p=9856In one of the same classrooms in which she studied to become a teacher in the late 1940s, Beverly Shuler Fish ’50 sat with four of her grandchildren in August.

Beverly Shuler Fish ’50with four of her grandchildren

The oldest grandchild, Liam Stiefel, had just completed his first year of college in North Carolina; his three siblings—Maggie, Jack and Marie—are all high school students in Georgia, preparing for their college years.

“Things were very different then,” Fish laughed with her family, which also included her daughter Marilyn of Atlanta, Ga. This was Fish’s first visit since she graduated in 1950—when the primary academic buildings on campus were Park and Sheldon halls, and the Lonis-Moreland-Mackin Complex (the first permanent dormitory on campus) was still a year from completion.

Fish and her family toured Sheldon Hall and made a stop in the historic Sheldon classroom, as she shared with them the stories of her own college years at SUNY Oswego.

Fish enrolled at SUNY Oswego when she was only 16. She shared stories of how all the freshmen wore beanies and how the women tried to adhere to strict curfews, even in off-campus housing. Because of curfews, she said, housemates sometimes tied strings around their ankles when they went to bed. The string was left dangling out of a second floor window so that any woman caught out past curfew could pull the string, notifying her housemate to go down to the first floor and let her in.

Students (including Fish) lived off campus due to the lack of residence halls, or in Splinter Village—the name given to temporary barracks along the lake, although the name Splinter Village wasn’t used until much later. Fish remembered sorority activities with Alpha Delta Eta. She told her granddaughters that women students—almost all who were there to become teachers—wore skirts to class every day, and it wasn’t odd, it was “just the way things were.”

Fish went on to become a teacher for districts in central and western New York. She earned a master’s in education from SUNY Buffalo, concluding her career as an educator working in literacy and reading programs.

In 1953, she married Dr. David W. Fish, who died in 2016. They are the parents of three daughters; she has two more grandsons who couldn’t make the trip to Oswego with her. During this most recent visit to Central New York, she also visited her brother and sister-in-law, Frederick and Barbara Budd Shuler ’61, in nearby Baldwinsville, N.Y.

Despite the years that have passed since studying at SUNY Oswego, she maintains a friendship with two of her college roommates, JoAn Burns MacDonald ’50 and Jean Church Goodwin ’50.

“Over the years, it has made me so happy to see my classmates achieve their dreams and find their soul mates,” she said.

Fish, who now lives in Akron, N.Y., continues to achieve her dreams, too, including travel to all seven continents, a journey that began with a 55-mile bus trip from her hometown of Canastota, N.Y., to Oswego in 1946, she said.

After taking a family photo with the iconic Sheldon statue and visiting the classroom, Fish’s grandchildren studied the black-and-white photographs along the walls of Sheldon Hall, asking their grandmother questions about her years as a student.

“It really was a wonderful time,” she said, noting that she was looking forward to telling JoAn and Jean about her campus visit, 67 years after their graduation day.